FCC Reports on Informal Consumer Complaints

September 2009

Editor: Here's the FCC's unofficial announcement of informal complaints logged with the Disability Rights Office (DRO) during the first quarter of 2009. I'm wondering if others will find these results as surprising as I did!

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The Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau (CGB) announces information regarding informal consumer complaints processed by the Disability Rights Office (DRO) during the first quarter of the calendar year 2009. DRO processes informal complaints in the following five categories: (1) access to telecommunications services and equipment (Section 255) (47 U.S.C § 255), (2) telecommunications relay services (TRS) (47 U.S.C § 225), (3) closed captioning (47 C.F.R. § 79.1), (4) accessibility of video programming providing emergency information (47 C.F.R. § 79.2), (5) and hearing aid compatibility (47 U.S.C. § 610). For the first quarter of 2009 (January 01, 2009 through March 31, 2009), DRO received the following number of informal complaints, by subject matter, implicating the Commission's disability access rules: 22 informal complaints raised Section 255 issues; 60 informal complaints raised TRS issues; 142 informal complaints raised closed captioning issues; 2 informal complaints raised accessibility of video programming providing emergency information issues; and no informal complaints (zero) raised hearing aid compatibility issues.

On February 1, 2008, CGB launched a new database tracking system for informal complaints, the Consumer Complaint Management System (CCMS). CCMS utilizes the Form 2000C for all disability access informal complaints regarding the five categories listed above. Consumers can access this complaint form at: http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/form2000c.html. The Commission receives many inquiries and complaints that do not involve violations of the Communications Act, a Commission rule, or a Commission order. The existence of a complaint does not necessarily indicate wrongdoing by the company at issue. For more information regarding access to telecommunications for people with disabilities and other related matters, visit the DRO website at: http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/dro.

A copy of this document will be available during regular business hours at the FCC Reference Information Center, Portals II, 445 12th Street, S.W., Room CY-A257, Washington, D.C. 20554. This document and copies of subsequently filed documents in this matter may also be purchased from the Commission's duplicating contractor at, Portals II, 445 12th Street, S.W., Room CY-B402, Washington, D.C. 20554. Customers may contact the Commission's duplicating contractor at their website: www.bcpiweb.com or call 1-800-378-3160 or 202-488- 5300.

To request materials in accessible formats for people with disabilities (Braille, large print, electronic files, audio format), send an e-mail to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice), 202-418-0432 (TTY). This News Release can also be downloaded in Word and Portable Document Format (PDF) at http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/dro/.